AMO Supports Traineeship Program to Prepare the Next Generation of Manufacturing Experts

Today, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) announced $2.5 million in funding to support university-led traineeship programs that address workforce training needs in the early-stage technology area of advanced materials and process technologies in energy-related manufacturing. EERE will competitively select U.S.-based institutions of higher education to implement masters-level training programs designed to train a new generation of advanced manufacturing engineers to fill workforce needs across industry, national labs, and universities. 

These traineeship programs will focus on advancing critical STEM disciplines and competencies specifically relevant to the AMO mission where other U.S. government or academic workforce development programs either do not exist or where DOE-relevant, early-stage technology areas are not being leveraged to support the DOE mission.

With new knowledge and skills in advanced materials and process technologies for manufacturing, the students in this traineeship program will have the potential to advance new technology research and development leading to meaningful impacts across the energy and manufacturing sectors.

This new generation of advanced manufacturing technical experts will need to be trained if the private sector is going to translate early-stage research and development research to U.S. leadership in energy and advanced manufacturing. This investment in the future workforce, informed by the most relevant early-stage research and development, will enable the growth of the advanced manufacturing field and bolster U.S.-based manufacturing and innovation.

EERE will competitively select one or more U.S. institutions of higher education to implement masters-level training programs. Selected institutions will receive up to $2.5 million to establish programs in which students gain hands-on, industry-related experience as well as cross-cutting technical skills development of importance to advanced manufacturing in areas including data analysis, information systems, modeling and simulation, and process design. Concept paper applications are due August 8, 2017.

View the full solicitation and submission instructions.

EERE's Advanced Manufacturing Office supports early-stage applied research and development of new materials, information, and processes that improve American manufacturing’s energy efficiency, as well as platform technologies for manufacturing energy-related products. This technology innovation in advanced manufacturing is a foundation for economic growth and jobs in the U.S.